Author’s Note: If you’d like an example of those who believe in this, you can check out an article from a fellow Substacker’s article at the end of this. Also, fun fact, Rose McIver has talked about how she and fans have conversations about mortality thanks to the show.
We're all going to die.
It's a sad reality that we simply can't avoid, much as we might want to. The only thing we can really hope for is the way in which we die isn't weird and embarrassing. Even if we won't necessarily experience the humiliation that would come after, we would prefer that it didn't happen that way. When a lot of people think about the way they die, they want it to be peacefully in their sleep. That way those we leave behind won't feel the embarrassment of having to deal with it. At least that's the idea behind it if we’re being honest. Unfortunately, we can't choose the way we go out. We can delay it and live in such a way that we'd be unlikely to end up in an embarrassing situation. The problem is that such a life can end up being boring and without adventure of any kind. So if we take the risk and actually have a little fun, we allow for a strange end to be a possibility. But at some point, it will happen.
If we do die without dignity, many of us would prefer the ability to reclaim that dignity. This is part of why there's such an obsession with ghosts and a life after death. Because if there is some kind of afterlife, we could find a way to regain something approaching dignity. Only if we can find this type of peace, can we truly let go of what happened in our lives. The things we regret, not the least of which is the way our lives end. However, this only works if we can somehow communicate with the living and express our regret, or perhaps do something to change the circumstances of our deaths. Not being able to do such a thing kinda makes the whole idea a moot point.
This is part of what makes Ghosts such an interesting show. It presents the idea that we might somehow be able to change the circumstances of our deaths. Or at least make up for what lead us to dying in the way we did. Through characters like Sam and to some extent her husband Jay, played brilliantly by Rose McIver and Utkarsh Ambudkar, the ghosts they live with are presented with the opportunity to find a sense of dignity in their afterlives. Sam's ability to communicate with those who have passed on allows them to say the things they never got to say in life. To allow the ghosts to have those who are still alive they love find some resolution in their own lives and in doing so provide satisfaction the ghosts themselves need.
Whether or not they end up moving on to the peace or possibly torture they might have coming for them in finding it is beside the point. The satisfaction of being able to resolve the issues that have been festering in some way perhaps for decades or centuries. Feeling dignity in death becomes the point.
Check out Ghosts as soon as you can and experience the process of dignity in death.
Ghosts is available on CBS as well as Amazon.
Great post. We may end up tackling the same issues in wildly different settings. On 11/11 comes a post from me called "Its Hard to Die Well." Looking forward to your follow-up!
Thanks for the heads up on this one.
Adam
Great insight into this 'funny' show. It is my favorite Network show. Great concept. Strong characterization and acting. Yes, it is not just silly, but thought provoking. And redemptive for the ghost characters--and cathartic for the audience. Thank you